Joshua 6:10   (Read all of Joshua 6)

But Joshua had commanded the army, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

Joshua 6:11   (Read all of Joshua 6)

So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

Joshua 6:13   (Read all of Joshua 6)

The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding.

Joshua 6:14   (Read all of Joshua 6)

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Joshua 6:15   (Read all of Joshua 6)

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.

Joshua 6:16   (Read all of Joshua 6)

The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!

Joshua 6:17   (Read all of Joshua 6)

The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

Joshua 6:18   (Read all of Joshua 6)

But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.

Joshua 6:19   (Read all of Joshua 6)

All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury."

Joshua 6:20   (Read all of Joshua 6)

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.

Joshua 6:21   (Read all of Joshua 6)

They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it-men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

Joshua 6:22   (Read all of Joshua 6)

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her."

Joshua 6:23   (Read all of Joshua 6)

So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:24   (Read all of Joshua 6)

Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord's house.

Joshua 6:25   (Read all of Joshua 6)

But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho-and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Joshua 6:26   (Read all of Joshua 6)

At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates."

Joshua 6:27   (Read all of Joshua 6)

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Joshua 7:1   (Read all of Joshua 7)

But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things ; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel.

Joshua 7:2   (Read all of Joshua 7)

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai.

Joshua 7:3   (Read all of Joshua 7)

When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there."

Joshua 7:4   (Read all of Joshua 7)

So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai,

Joshua 7:5   (Read all of Joshua 7)

who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

Joshua 7:6   (Read all of Joshua 7)

Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.

Joshua 7:7   (Read all of Joshua 7)

And Joshua said, "Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!